A multi-window system, namely, a system that can allow multiple windows to be displayed, is known. Patent Publications 1 and 2 disclose a technology for determining an arrangement of windows in a multi-window system. In the technology disclosed in Patent Publications 1 and 2, windows are arranged according to a predetermined algorithm based on a size (area) of each of the windows displayed and a number of the windows, so as to improve viewability and operability of the windows.
In a case where a multi-window system is applied to an electronic device whose display area is generally small, such as a mobile phone or the like, if the windows are displayed such that each window has a size that allows it to be viewed easily by a user, a part of the window(s) may not be contained within the display area. To avoid such a situation, it is conceivable, for example, to arrange the windows from an upper part to a lower part of the display area while positioning the windows as close to one another as possible. However, this will restrict the windows to being positioned regularly or uniformly, resulting in poor layout design of the windows and a less attractive UI (User Interface) from a user's viewpoint.
An object of the present invention is, in a case where multiple images such as windows or the like are displayed, to improve the layout design of the displayed images, and to ensure that the images are contained within a display area when a number of images displayed is large.